No Need to Call Am Ex

[sail7seas]

DH and I have an upcoming event out of town (....:eek: not a cruise :D ) and I mentioned to him we need to call Am Ex to say we'd be in that city on specific dates and will be using our Am Ex card.

 

When he called, he was told it is no longer necessary to notify them. They no longer request/expect travelers to tell them where they will be/when.

 

That surprised me.

I thought fraud was higher than ever but yet they're relaxing that standard.

 

Anyone else been told the same thing by AmEx?

[Kween Karen]

After my recent problems.....I certainly plan on calling before I leave in September. I am surprised by the response you got. I appreciate when they watch and track the charges.

[cruz chic]

I'm always being asked to produce my drivers license when using my credit card. It irritates me something fierce. I wonder if that is why they don't want to know where you are :D. Sail.....does your Amex have a pin # you have to use? Mine doesn't...and I'm wondering if I should get one so I don't have to dig out my drivers every time.

[Kween Karen]

I don't believe I have EVER been asked to show my driver's license when using my Amex card. I do not have a pin number either.

[cruz chic]

I don't believe I have EVER been asked to show my driver's license when using my Amex card. I do not have a pin number either.

I have to show my DL with both Amex and M/C. I've said to retail places....why? They say to protect you and us. Right. I've said to them...that is simply not true....it's to protect you! They get so flustered...but it's annoying to me to have to produce my DL. Wonder if it's just a Calgary thing then?

[CruiseReg]

... is that they don't want these calls because of the fact that today's card users are generally a LOT more mobile. Additionally, the software is getting *much* better at detecting fraud. Its more about purchase history/patterns than anything else. Its what helped Wachovia contact me about potential fraud less than 12 hours after the bogus charges were made. It happened several states away from my home address *and* there was a small charge and then multiple much larger purchases. This is what triggered the alert on my account (which is quite scary since it was tied to a bank account for "more than a few dollars in it").

 

I've not called American Express about traveling for at least 6 or 7 years now. I've also never had any issues wit fraud and I'm used my Amex all over the Caribbean and Central America.

[luvcruisn']

The last time I travelled in Sept. /08 I notified Mastercard - as that is the card I use in the States. I notified Amex as well, in case my card was fraudulently used while I was away. So far, I haven't been told not to notify the credit card companies.

 

I work as a cashier, and I have noticed that the newer credit cards now have a type of chip embedded in them, where the customer has to enter a pin number for the card to work. The customers with the chip on their card no longer have to sign the credit card slip, which is convenient for them.

[operafan]

The last time I travelled in Sept. /08 I notified Mastercard - as that is the card I use in the States. They told me it was a good idea to let them know. I don't know if their rules have changed or not. I am going to call them about my next trip to Alaska' date=' and will find out then if they don't need to be notified anymore.[/quote']

 

Called Mastercard and Visa before our Alaska cruise last month and both wanted the info as to where we were going and when. Nothing has changed there.......

[K&RCurt]

I have never been told they didn't want to know.

 

Once we went to New Orleans for a weekend. We had a VERY lavish dinner Saturday night at Commander's Palace. On Sunday our DD called from home saying our bank had called and to call them back. When I called they asked "Did you charge $350.00 for a dinner in New Orleans last night?". I sheepishly said "yes", they said good, this did not fit your spending pattern and we were afraid of fraud. Since then I always call before we travel. I felt like "Big Brother" was scolding me for being extravagant! In reality they were just looking out for my best interest!

[Sue from Canada]

Called Mastercard and Visa before our Alaska cruise last month and both wanted the info as to where we were going and when. Nothing has changed there.......

 

After my recent problems.....I certainly plan on calling before I leave in September. I am surprised by the response you got. I appreciate when they watch and track the charges.

 

I travel a lot and not just cruises. I have never called AMEX about my travel plans. I figure they already know I'm not in my home city as I've paid for the airline tickets, hotel, cruise etc. using their card and they know my flight dates etc.

[mbabill]

I also called AMEX to let them know about our trip and they said it wasn't necessary.

[ekerr19]

I have to show my DL with both Amex and M/C. I've said to retail places....why? They say to protect you and us. Right. I've said to them...that is simply not true....it's to protect you! They get so flustered...but it's annoying to me to have to produce my DL. Wonder if it's just a Calgary thing then?

 

It's not a Calgary thing... a lot of places here do that as well. It is to protect themselves, and I agree it's irritating - kind of makes me feel like a crook or something. :confused:

[jtl513]

DH and I have an upcoming event out of town (....:eek: not a cruise :D ) and I mentioned to him we need to call Am Ex to say we'd be in that city on specific dates and will be using our Am Ex card.

I think it's only important when the trip is out of the country.

[LMB01]

I travel out of the country at least once per month and I never call the credit card companies (business card or my personal cards). I then use my cards without ever having any issues with the card companies.

[catl331]

I travel out of the country at least once per month and I never call the credit card companies (business card or my personal cards). I then use my cards without ever having any issues with the card companies.

That's different from most of us going out of the country, because that is now your normal pattern.

[Starr Mtn]

After my recent problems.....I certainly plan on calling before I leave in September. I am surprised by the response you got. I appreciate when they watch and track the charges.

 

 

Karen, if this is indeed a new practice .......

suggest you ask a family member to call your credit card

companies occassionally to monitor your charges. They

should be able to do so via the telephone with just

your card numbers and expiration date. Double check

to see if the card companies require additional information

to be sure.

 

Hopefully you can do as planned, and as many cruisers do,

and notify the card companies of your travel plans so that

this isn't necessary.

[jtl513]

suggest you ask a family member to call your credit card companies occassionally to monitor your charges.

I just check from my laptop on the ship. That's no more risky than doing it from home IMO. (But I wouldn't do it from any public land location.)

[sail7seas]

We got into the habit of calling Am Ex before we travel after having to speak with a rep when we wanted to make a purchase on Ponte Vecchio in Florence. It wasn't particuarly large and certainly was authorized when they verified it was us making the purchase. Since then, we got in the habit of calling.

 

I agree that spending pattern is the best clue to them to question whether fraud.

 

 

 

[mamaofami]

We started calling AMEX when we go away because once they called my husband's office to verify a charge. We were out of the country but someone in the office told them it was OK. Can't hurt to call. Better safe than sorry.

I think Karen can have an alert put on her cards that no charges be made by that TA.

[Nutbunch]

I have to show my DL with both Amex and M/C. I've said to retail places....why? They say to protect you and us. Right. I've said to them...that is simply not true....it's to protect you! They get so flustered...but it's annoying to me to have to produce my DL. Wonder if it's just a Calgary thing then?

 

No it's everywhere. And it DOES protect you. If you're asked for your Driver's License the clerk is checking that you ARE the person named on the credit card.

 

Say you're a thief. You've either stolen the mail and gotten a credit card statment not your own. Or you've found a valid number online, or you work in retail and been copying down numbers from customers.

 

There are machines that you can buy on EBAY, craigslist and other places that will produce a credit card with your stolen numbers. Then you are free to go to any establishment and charge away, then sell off your merchandise.

 

The actual credit card holder will find out only in 30 days (you'll be long gone) and only if they check the charges. Maybe you have lots of numbers, maybe you only charge one item on each card.

 

The card holder has to dispute the charges, which can lead to a hold on the account and you loses the privilege of charging that card again, till dispute is resolved. Meanwhile that balance until verified as fradulent shows up in your credit report.

 

Now isn't pulling out your DL everytime a LOT less hassel than that? So stop complaining and thank the clerks that offer to check. They are doing YOU a favor.

[LADYLAYLA]

No it's everywhere. And it DOES protect you. If you're asked for your Driver's License the clerk is checking that you ARE the person named on the credit card.

 

 

Now isn't pulling out your DL everytime a LOT less hassel than that? So stop complaining and thank the clerks that offer to check. They are doing YOU a favor.

 

 

I totally agree Nutbunch We thank the clerks any and every time they ask for the DL My Dh and I bothe have written on the back of all our cards - See Picture ID The ones that irritate me are the clerks that look at the back, look at us and hand us back the card without asking

[azalice]

My DH just called them this morning to say we will be out of state and out of country for 18 days and he was told they do not need notification any longer - even if out of country- in this case UK, Norway, Iceland.

 

Alice

[cruz chic]

Now isn't pulling out your DL everytime a LOT less hassel than that? So stop complaining and thank the clerks that offer to check. They are doing YOU a favor.

No...no it's not doing me a favor. I check my charges online so I would see fraud right away and dispute it.....so it's not to protect me. Let me guess....you work in a store or own one:rolleyes:. I'm sorry but I do not agree.......so thanks, but I will complain.

[Tricia724]

The last call I made to Visa to tell them I was going out of the country went like this:

 

Me: "I'm just calling to let you know that I'll be in South America for a month beginning Dec. -- and plan to use my Visa card there."

Visa: "Uhhhhh.....OK".........Long silence.

Me: "I just want to make sure that the computer won't question any charges or ATM withdrawals while I'm in South America."

Visa: "Uhhhh.....OK."

Me: (getting annoyed) "Would you please make a note in my file that I'll be traveling in South America in December and January."

Visa: "Oh....yeah, I can do that.....and is there anything else I can help you with today?" :mad:

 

With such dynamite customer reps like this, I am more than happy to pull out my driver's license when asked. In fact, I'm actually pleased that someone wants to know that I am who I say I am.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have always called AMEX and told them when we would be out of town -- for both of our cards.

They have always appreciated us calling them to notify them of this.

Will be curious when we call them and see what happens.

Sail -- enjoy your convention!!